No Altitude Assault Transport
The Non-Altitude Assault Transport series were a number of vehicles used by the Grand Army of the Galactic Republic during the Clone Wars. History Original NAAT Origin The original Non-Altitude Assault Transport was created by members of the 111th Heavy Brigade, who collaborated with engineering units following a large scale battle. The chassis from a de-winged Low Altitude Assault Transport gunship (LAAT) was modified, expanded, and combined with the six legs from an All Terrain Tactical Enforcer walker (AT-TE). Low on vehicles and resources, the 111th and affiliated units used what they had on hand to create a vehicle with the speed and climbing capabilities of an AT-TE combined with the firepower of an LAAT. It's missiles locked onto enemy targets, the beam turrets extended out the doors and shot at targets from multiple angles, and the front and rear cannons went to work. Initial Success and Popularity The creation of one or several NAATs led to a military success for the 111th, who praised the land-based gunship-walker for being the key to their survival during the battle. A fad emerged wherein other military units would also scavenge and modify broken down LAAT and AT-TE vehicles when they were otherwise unusable, resulting in the 55th Armored Corps and 373rd Arrowhead Legion each having models of their own. Variations and Modular Perks NAATs were easy to modify, so several variations emerged. There was a mobile command center NAAT with a holoprojector inside, and a mobile weapons variant that was equipped to shoot down hailfire missiles. A member of the 55th Corps even reconditioned one of the vehicles into an artillery platform that could fire on targets above and below, from a considerable distance away. A benefit to the original NAATs was their increased size, which allowed for a troop capacity of up to 40 personnel, which was 10 more than the LAAT could carry and 2 more than the standard AT-TE's troop compartment could hold. Phasing Out For all the perks, the original NAAT series had an array of flaws. Republic battlefield engineers were often unable to repair NAATs without the risk of leaving AT-TE and LAAT vehicles without the parts they needed. The LAAT chassis was also lightly armoured, making the more common un-shielded NAATs more vulnerable to weapons fire. Most NAATs also lacked any weaponry that could swivel like the AT-TE's mass driver, except for beam turrets, and there was only one rear cannon, meaning it lacked the weapon versatility of the AT-TE, despite it's immense firepower. For these and a variety of other reasons, NAATs were often abandoned after a few skirmishes, and many of the models created or gifted to other units broke down or were destroyed in combat. Revised NAAT 117th Research at Work The 117th Ranger Corps was, like the 111th Heavy Brigade, known for their resourcefulness. When they discovered the existence of the original NAATs, their researchers immediately began dissecting the design and sorting out the flaws and benefits. A concept was drafted with approval from Marshal Commander Rys and General Kain, and was sent to a Grand Army engineering facility. The engineers, with plentiful assistance from the 117th, went to work. The New NAATs "They won't fly, but they'll fall in style!" - Unidentified 117th NAAT Driver A new line of Non-Altitude Assault Transports were established. Instead of borrowing legs and chassis from other vehicles, the NAAT had it's own legs and chassis. Each of the new NAATs was equipped with six legs and repulsorlift technology, allowing for them to remain functioning if either system of movement failed. The new NAATs had heavier armour than that of the LAAT chassis, but sacrificed firepower for the purpose of rapid movement. Two variants were created: transport and artillery. Both variants could be dropped from a reasonably high distance and land using repulsorlift tech without sustaining any damage, resulting in rapidly deploy-able support vehicles. The new NAATs were around the size of AT-TE walkers, but faster. Transport NAATs carried plentiful supplies and up to a squad of troopers into the fray, while artillery NAATs were equipped with rapid fire mortar cannons. Both variants had controllable blaster turrets, and the capability to deploy metal shielding that supplemented the vehicles' armour. Said metal shielding could be painted to resemble camouflage, and each NAAT typically had a backup speeder to allow between one and three crew members to escape, even though the NAAT only required a single pilot. Additional crew could join the pilot to work the rear cannon, dish out supplies, man an interior E-Web turret, or monitor sensors and transmissions. While the NAAT did not have LAAT-style firepower, it possessed speed and utility while maintaining the ability to ascend rock faces and other surfaces without sacrificing armour. NAAT/G The NAAT/G, also known as the NAAT/Guncar, was designed by the 55th Armoured Corps. The 55th Corps received several new NAATs throughout the war, similar to how they had acquired several older NAATs from the 111th beforehand. In order to repay the 111th for their brotherly kindness and to offer condolences for the phasing out of one of their favourite vehicles, the 55th designed a variation of the NAAT that had optional manual beam turret pods, and chassis-based beam turrets that could be fired remotely. The NAAT/G also wielded LAAT missile pods and had two rear blaster turrets near the rear entrance. While it was slightly heavier, moved slower and required additional crew to operate, the NAAT/G packed a considerable amount of firepower and could engage targets from every direction. Rise of the Empire Most of the NAATs that survived the Clone Wars were in the hands of the 111th Heavy Brigade and 117th Ranger Corps. A few leftovers were used and maintained by the 55th Armoured Corps. A streamlined Imperial version was tested and then produced during the Empire's military expansion. Galactic Civil War New Republic Several vehicles scavenged by planetary defense forces resembled the very first NAATs, but none of them caught on. New Republic-aligned engineering groups produced multiple vehicles resembling the revised NAATs, and there was even a model based off the NAAT/G. Numerous pro-New Republic militias and defense forces were provided with the new NAATs, and used them in a number of situations, cementing the 111th's legacy as crazily creative inventors, the 117th's as efficient researchers and constructors, and the 55th's as capable modifiers.Category:Grand Army of the Galactic Republic Category:Vehicle Category:Transport Category:No Altitude Assault Transport Category:Walker